Blood Magic
by Wolvinheart
Summary: After the end of the war, Harry loses everything: his magic, his friends, and his life.  Twilight Crossover - HP/EC
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry _

_5:31 AM_

Harry slowly approached the fallen figure across the battlefield, stumbling on a fractured ankle and trying desperately not to breath in the ash of the charred bodies littering the ground.

All the planning, all the sacrifices to reach this moment- to rid the world of this _monster_, something that at this point couldn't even be called a man.

Harry dropped to his knees beside the twisted body of the Dark Lord. His red eyes were open, muted in the coming dawn. Harry shuddered, looking above the figure to stare blankly at the grounds of Hogwarts.

He was dead; Voldemort had fallen for the last time.

A hysterical laugh escaped from his throat.

It was over, the purpose of his life had been accomplished, but Harry wondered what the point was. There was no one left. At least no one he cared about. He had nothing.

A sudden sound behind him brought him out of his thoughts and he tried to turn, pain shooting up his leg. Before he could get more than a glimpse of pale skin and a flash of growing red eyes, he felt an icy grip on his throat and a piercing pain in the muscle of his shoulder.

For a moment he panicked, hearing the feral growl behind him. Vampire. One loyal to the Dark Lord, even in his death. The irony of the situation struck him. In the end, Voldemort had finally managed to kill him.

As he felt the blood flow from his body- his life draining away- he remembered how his friends had fallen.

* * *

><p>Harry begrudgingly handed over a single strand of black hair, watching as Hermione dropped it in the polyjuice potion with a sense of dread.<p>

"_I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Hermione huffed, batting at the hair escaping her ponytail in annoyance. _

"_Oh shush Harry, nothing is going to happen to me. And even so, we _have _to do this. How else are we going to get the information?" _

_Harry raised his brow "Well, _I _could always go-" but Hermione raised her hand, at once becoming stern. _

"_Not a chance. We need you Harry, more than anyone else." _

_And before Harry could protest, she downed the potion with a grimace._

_He watched as his best friend stretched, growing taller, the inches building until he could look her in the eye. Unfortunately for Hermione he had shot up at the end of sixth year, and her clothes stretched uncomfortably tight across the wide breadth of her forming shoulders. _

_He couldn't help but grin as Hermione squeaked, scrabbling at the skirt that was sliding from rapidly narrowing hips. _

_Hermione glared at him with squinting eyes, marching towards the clothes he had brought for her to wear. It was odd to see himself in a skirt, and although it was his body, he still turned before Hermione could begin changing, allowing her privacy._

_In a few moments, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, holding it in a gentle grasp. Looking around, he caught her sad gaze peering through a replica of his glasses. She gave him a kind smile. _

"_Ron would be enjoying this, don't you think?" Harry laughed in response._

"_I don't know about that 'Mione. I think he rather liked you looking like you."_

_Hermione blushed, looking down at her feet, encased in a pair of battered trainers. _

"_I rather miss him."_

_Harry couldn't stand it anymore and despite the oddity of the situation, he pulled her to him, wrapping him arms around identical shoulders and threading a hand through her hair. Polyjuice may have made her his twin, but she was still Hermione. _

_The pain of losing their best friend, their brother, and in Hermione's case, her lover, resonated in the room. _

_Ron had fallen almost two months ago, under the wand of Voldemort himself. Death Eaters were told to capture the remaining two members of the Golden Trio at all costs. _

_The only thing that kept them going was the war, and each other. _

"_I miss him too, love. I miss him more than anything."_

* * *

><p>They had received intelligence from their spy that they had urgent information that they would only entrust to Harry. Before this they had always delivered their reports to minor Order members, but apparently this was high up information, classified. Both Harry and Hermione had been extremely hesitant, but in the end, their side was suffering and needed any advantage they could get.<p>

Hermione's body had never been recovered.

It was the memory of that caring hand and the warmth it brought to him that accompanied him in his death, in stark contrast to the cruel touch of the vampire.

Harry couldn't find it in himself to fight any longer, only taking cold comfort in the thought of seeing his friends and family soon. With that assurance in mind, he fell limp in the creatures' hold, feeling his heartbeat gradually slow to a stop.

If only he could be so lucky.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **_Well, that's that. Big thanks to my beta reader, Kirah! _

_For those of you who may be wondering, this is an AU from book five, there was no Harry/Ginny and no horcruxes, this will be expanded on in later chapters. Again, this will be Harry Potter/Edward Cullen slash, so if you don't like that, then I suggest you read no further. _


	2. Choices

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Harry groaned, feeling a residual pain in his limbs. He felt as if he had undergone multiple Cruicio's and for a moment, he wondered if that was the case. He dismissed that idea when he raised his head and looked at his surroundings.

He was no prisoner, nor a causality of battle. It appeared as if he was the only one alive within a few miles.

This gave him a start once he realized that he could in fact see to the edge of the Forbidden forest which he deduced was thousands of meters in the distance.

With a shaking hand, he felt his eyes and wasn't even shocked when he felt no glasses and yet could see hundreds of times better than before. More than that, his body felt different, energized, alert. Turning his mind to how the rest of his body was coping, he become conscious of the fact that something was amiss.

He felt _starved. _

His throat burned with the intensity of Fiendfyre and he felt his mouth fill with an acidic fluid as he rose from the ground. He was no longer thinking of the dead surrounding him- once he had acknowledged what was rising within him his instincts had taken over.

He wanted to eat, and the corpses offered no sustenance.

Without thought, he apparated, or something akin to it since he seemed to have lost his wand at some point and as far as he could tell, the wards of Hogwarts were still up, preventing true apparition. All he knew was that he wanted to be near what he was craving, and his body had fulfilled his desires.

He landed on the edge of Hogsmeade and began to sniff the air. Although mostly abandoned, he caught scent of something utterly delicious, a delicacy he had never had the pleasure of tasting. Exhilaration filled him and he strode purposefully toward the smell, gradually becoming aware of a sound, the rhythmic beating of a heart.

The sound only spurred him on and before he knew it, he was running with a speed he couldn't begin to comprehend, the town a blur as he raced towards that overwhelming smell. The thump of the heart drove him, sending him into frenzy as it filled his mind, overtaking all rational thought.

He had to taste and take and _devour._

Crashing through a wooden door he crouched low, cocking his head to the side as the heartbeat sped up, quickening to an alarming rate.

With slow, precise movements, Harry brought his eyes to that of his prey.

A dirty man with rags pressed to his wounds, robes tossed asunder stared back at him with fear in his gaze and it was _delectable_.

He rose from his crouch, a smile curving his lips, mind in a haze.

Oh that scent, he could get used to that perfume that permeated the air with increasing intensity.

As he took a step towards his food, it let out a curious sound, and somewhere in the recesses of Harry's mind the recognition came through . . . _whimper, fear, despair._

His steps faltered as an odd sort of force took over his limbs. He shook his head like a dog to get rid of the strange feeling, continuing forward until his foot landed on an object lying on the ground, resulting in an almost deafening crunch to his acute ears.

Wincing, he glanced down and saw the broken pieces of a mirror, reflecting back his startling image.

While there were many changes to what he remembered to be his appearance, one thing caught his attention. His eyes. His _red eyes. _

Jerking away with a cry, Harry suddenly came back to himself and, not even chancing a look at the man in the corner, he ran as fast and as far as he could, sprinting into the cover of the Forbidden Forest. He needed blood, desperately, he was too on edge to chance waiting and so he allowed himself no time to think and merely hunted through the forest, using his new senses to find acceptable prey.

Although it gave him grief, he managed to track a herd of deer through the trees. After cornering a few of the stages he took them down with ease, gorging himself on the blood and keeping away the disgust and urge to break away by remembering the look of terror in his potential victim's eyes. Better these animals than that man.

Soon, he felt sated, and no longer had such an intense desire to stalk down the man he had left behind.

Pulling himself away from the corpses, he walked until he found a clearing, mind strangely blank.

It was only when he lay on the grass, staring up at the canopy of the trees with the night sky filtering through that he broke down.

To his incredulity, there came no tears, only wracking breaths that aggravated his throat and clenched his stomach. He knew what would've happened if he hadn't looked down. That man would've died suffering, his throat torn out. But seeing his reflection had stopped him. Seeing his once verdant eyes filled with red.

Voldemort's eyes.

He was aware of what he was now, knew it in the marrow of bones. Newly born vampires always had red eyes, but still, all he could think of was that monster who had killed his parents, slain his friends, and inadvertently turned him into a vampire. Harry felt ill, ill at the thought of what he had become. But then again, he hadn't yet become a monster, had he? Yes, he was a vampire, there was no denying that, but that did not equal being evil.

Harry remembered a great many things about Dumbledore, especially the wisdom he imparted. One of those lessons was about choices, and how anyone had the right to make them, to choose right or wrong.

And in that moment, Harry decided that he would not be a monster.

* * *

><p>After his decision, Harry had felt a new strength fill him, a new purpose. He would use his new abilities to help others, and above all else, he would gain control.<p>

For the past week he had avoided all contact with humans, staying away from any populated areas, including Hogwarts.

Although it had been deserted when he had woken from his turning, there was no telling if that would remain the case. He felt more than a moment's regret at leaving his wand and almost all of his possessions behind, however, he felt extremely lucky that his invisibility cloak had been stuffed in his pocket after being used to enter the battle undetected.

With use of the cloak, he had managed to ghost the edges of towns, finally managing to capture an owl after days of failed attempts. Harry's chest ached as he thought of Hedwig, who had been left behind at the Owlery, but it was a great deal safer for her there. Harry was a bit tempted by the barn owl he had procured.

With an oddly tamed hand, he wrote a message to Flourish and Blotts, asking if they had any reference books about vampires and their covens, mainly neutral or light branches.

His reply came a day later.

_Dear Customer,_

_We have processed your inquiry and would like to thank you for your interest. There are indeed many books dealing with vampire covens, however, you will find the selection of neutral and light coven books rather limited. _

_The most comprehensive and current books are _So You Want To Stop Murdering?_ By Matilda Gregor and _The Light Vampires of the Americas _by Vincent Delanie. If it would suit your needs, we are willing to package and send these books by owl for the fee of twelve Galleons. We've provided you with an envelope; you may put the fee inside and send with an owl. We will reply promptly._

_Sincerely,_

_Hodge Gavens, Esq._

_Manager of Flourish and Blotts _

Harry was immensely relieved that, due to the increasing tensions and attacks in the war, Hermione had wisely suggested that he remove a decent sum from his Gringotts vault and hide it somewhere away from Wizarding settlements where he could be spotted.

Again, utilizing the strange grasp of his magic that he seemed to have gained since his turning, he, for lack of a better word, apparated to the spot where he had left his money. It was contained inside of a warded bag and buried deep within the ground at the base of an old tree.

With his newfound strength, Harry had forgone any use of tools and instead punched his hand into the ground, arm sliding through the dirt as if it was air until it reached his shoulder and his fingertips brushed against the softness of the pouch.

Grinning, he brought the bag up and shook the dirt off of his limb. It appeared as if the bag hadn't been tampered with, and knowing that he would probably be requiring the money very soon, he chose to take the entire thing.

Luckily, the bag had an expanding charm on the inside, and so it was the size of a muggle wallet and no larger. At this point, Harry wasn't quite sure what was going on with his magic, if it could even be called that anymore, and he wasn't sure if he would've been able to shrink the bag to an appropriate size.

A few hours later, he had procured an owl, and he sent the envelope with the gallons off with a wistful sigh. It had been quite awhile since he had interacted with anything other than the animals he killed, but he wouldn't allow himself the luxury of human companionship, just in case he became weak and went back on his vows.

So with a world weary grimace, Harry set to finding himself dinner.

* * *

><p>True to their word, a day after he sent off the owl with his money order, it somehow found him deep within the forest on the outskirts of Surrey. He was constantly flitting from place to place so as to not get to tempted to travel into more populated areas.<p>

The owl was obviously weighted down by the books, and gave him a grateful hoot after he relieved it of its burden. With a nip to his ear, it took to the sky, wings spreading majestically. Harry stared after it with a faint smile, the wonder of the magical world returning to him for a brief moment.

Then he settled himself down against a nearby tree and cracked open the books. To his amazement, he found his eyes taking in the words at an alarming pace, the dimming light having no affect on the clarity of the stark black letters.

A mere two hours after receiving the four hundred page guide by Matilda Gregor, he discovered that, while helpful with advising him on how to avoid cravings and interacting with humans, the majority of the book was devoted to overcoming his vampire nature to feed on humans, something he had accomplished when he had gazed upon his features and saw the Dark Lord.

The second book however was much more interesting, and halfway through, Harry thought he found his answer.

"_Although there is much debate as to what makes a vampire choose to defect from their natural instincts, one thing is clear: it is a constant battle. Many vampires fail to stick to this new, as it's jokingly termed, 'vegetarian' diet, and those few who succeed struggle with it throughout their eternal life. It is due to this struggle that neutral covens began to form, offering support to those who were cast out by their clans. These are covens where vampires are constantly under the supervision of those who follow the same human-free diet; this reduces the chance of relapse. They also accept converts who wish for help with their decision, as it is a very difficult and ridiculed one in the vampire world. _

_Although there is a smattering of neutral covens located in the European world and its surrounding countries, by far, the largest and least lenient covens are located in the Americas, with settlements in North Virginia, Washington, and Alaska. _

_For those reading this book as a sort of instruction guide, it should be known that the coven of Alaska is most recommended for newborns, as they have the largest following, and by virtue of that fact, the most watchful eyes."_

Alaska.

Harry wondered how on earth he was going to get there.

* * *

><p><em>Alaska Coven <em>

"Edward! You won't believe what I just saw!" Edward turned to look at his sister, quirking a brow, knowing full well he would believe it. Alice's visions always came to pass, even if they weren't always as they initially appeared.

Seeing his expression, Alice shook her head, reaching out a small hand to clasp his and grinning in excitement.

"Look into my mind, see what I've seen."

Edward indulged her, peering into her eyes to establish a better connection. He could tell she was replaying the memory and it overwhelmed his thoughts until it was all he could see.

_A black haired man, no, a vampire. He was standing on the edge of the forest that surrounded the main house of the coven. _

_He seemed to be waiting and had his head turned to the sky in contemplation, gazing with peerless wonder at the stars. Without a thought to who might be watching, he raised his arm and used his slender fingers to trace the Orion constellation, following the path of the stars before coming to rest on Sirius, the brightest star of the night. _

_A wistful smile overtook his face and be brought his arm down so he could reach behind him, offering his hand. _

_Out of the forest shot another hand, pale and sturdy, coming to rest on the other man's wrist, fingers wrapping tight, squeezing, before sliding down to intertwine their hands. The figure, a bronze haired vampire, stepped next to the one with black hair. With a slight smile, he brought his chin to the other's shoulder and nuzzled his neck._

_Still looking up at the night sky, the first vampire spoke, a melodic voice with a heavy British accent becoming apparent. _

"_Do you think Sirius would be proud, Edward?"_

_The bronze haired vampire, Edward, brought his mouth from the man's neck, unclasping their hands so that he could wrap his arms around his companions' shoulders, joining him in his gaze upwards. _

"_I'm quite sure he would be. You are something to be proud of Harry."_

_Harry laughed, the weight of the moment dispersing as he turned around in Edward's arms, bringing his arms to the other vampire's waist and drawing them closer as he stared into his eyes with obvious affection. _

"_You only say that because you're my mate. You're rather partial, don't you think?"_

_Edward gave Harry a very slight smile, "One may say that, but it doesn't make my first statement any less true."_

_Leaning forward, he brought his forehead to rest against Harry's, their noses just barely touching and unneeded breath mingling in the chill of the air. _

"_You are fairly extraordinary."_

Edward stared blankly at Alice, mind racing at what he'd just seen- was it really possible?

As if reading his thoughts, Alice smiled fondly, bring her free hand to his shoulder and swaying back and forth on her toes.

"Oh Edward, your mate, he's coming to the coven!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Thank you for all the reviews! And another thanks to my awesome beta reader Kirah. _


	3. The Arrival

**A/N: **_This chapter is completely un-betaed, so I apologize preemptively for any mistakes. I've had this chapter written for awhile but there's been a delay in getting it edited. Once I realized that it had been so long since I've updated, I thought that a rough draft is better than nothing._

_Thank you for reviewing!_

* * *

><p><em>Alaska Coven<em>

Edward was brooding. Although he did not often admit it, he knew he put too much thought into things. He had been told many a time to 'lighten up', but he found that contemplation suited him. There had been times where he would sit in stillness, unmoving for days at a time until the hunger began to gnaw away at him.

This was one of those times.

Mates were rather legendary in the vampire world; they were spoken of with a hint of awe. This was mostly due to the fact that mates seldom met.

Edward knew that all vampires had a mate, but the chance of them actually meeting them was a bit of a hit and miss. No matter how long and how broadly Edward had searched, he found no reference on how to find his mate. The only real way to tell was to meet them.

To complicate matters further, the mates had to be vampires, if a vampire met their mate while they were human, there would be no connection. More often than not, a vampire's mate died as a human, without ever meeting, a thought that Edward had pushed out of his mind as best as he could. It would be a horrible thing, to wait for eternity for someone who could very well be dead and gone. Some days, Edward had doubted his vow to wait for his mate-at times it seemed to be a futile pursuit.

Not to say that it never happened- there were a few instances of mates meeting after hundreds of years on the Earth, a wondrous event which was often shadowed by the fact that most vampires chose to take up a companion during their seemingly endless years.

Companions were what most vampires had, although legend portrayed vampires as rather promiscuous, they were in actuality, very loyal. They tended to choose a suitable partner and remain with them for the rest of their unnatural lives, to the best of their abilities. Most of Edward's family had companions, Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Japser, and Rosalie and Emmett, none of them were mates. They'd merely enjoyed each other's company and chose to remain together.

Doubtless, companions were very close, and frequently, very pleased with their chosen partners. Because of that, Edward had chosen to remain apart from other vampires, not wanting to risk finding that happiness while he had the knowledge that someone out there was a better match for him, and could cause him a great amount of pain if they were to be separate if he ever came across his mate.

However satisfied they might be, Edward knew that they could never measure up to the compatibility that mates held. He had read that they seemed made for each other, suitable in every avenue.

But once you met your mate, that was it, there was no leaving, no second chances, you were simply bound, for all eternity, they were considered to be soul-mates.

It was this label that had caused Edward to extensively research the matter. He had always been rather curious on the state of vampire's and their soul. The thought that there was something inside of him that was seeking a kindred spirit had fascinated him. He had come across this information rather early, only five years after turning, and in a way, it had given him a romanticized view of things. Edward had been pure when he had been turned, he had always strived to remain virtuous in life and this stayed with him even after he had become what he thought to be a beast.

Finding out that there was a potentially redeeming factor to his whole vampire business was a balm to his agonized mind. And so he had waited. Although not many knew of why he remained distanced from other vampires and their aspirations of companionship, the few who did thought him a fool.

After all, the chances of actually finding his mate were a one in six billion chance. His mate happening to be born within a century of his turning and becoming a vampire was even more improbable. The fact that he seemed to have been turned at around the same age as Edward was and that he followed the same inclinations to abstain from human blood was . . . mind-blowing.

It was so fortuitous that Edward almost couldn't believe it.

He was tempted to say that Alice was seeing something in the far future, perhaps a few decades from now, or centuries even, but she was adamant that it happened sometime within the next year. He then pointed out the rather flimsy proof that the vampire was indeed his mate. After all, it had only been referenced. The mate bond wasn't something that could be _seen _after all, it was felt.

Alice had countered by saying that he had waited a century, determined to save himself for his mate, and would he really give in on the eve of his impending success to some random vampire who he barely knew who was seeking to be his companion? Edward had given her that. She had them further driven the point home by saying that, with how invested Edward was in the theory of mates, viewing it in an almost sacred manner, he would not allow someone to think they were mates if there was not that connection. And it was an undeniable connection. Any vampire who held any knowledge on the matter would recognize it. You simply were, or you weren't, there were no doubts.

Edward, thoroughly chastised, merely nodded and turned, striding into the depths of the manor to find a hidden corner to think.

It was not so much that he wasn't convinced; it was that the idea was so unbelievable that he couldn't hope that it was true until it happened.

If he gave into the idea that his mate would soon be here, and it didn't occur, he would be devastated, and he could not allow that to come to pass.

So he would brood, casting as much doubt as he could onto the matter, and hide himself away until the mysterious dark haired vampire appeared and either confirmed or denied Edward's thoughts.

* * *

><p><em>Unknown Forest, Scotland<em>

Harry had somewhat of a conundrum. He couldn't take any muggle means of transport, as that required close contact with humans, and quite frankly, cost more than he could afford with his limited means. The wizarding world was also out, as he wanted to disappear altogether. In fact, he rather hoped that people would believe him dead, slain on the battlefield and his body stolen away by his remaining enemies.

He was being searched for, his face on every wizarding newspaper he could access by owl, stories upon stories, most of them false, were written every day. He had finally defeated Voldemort, and more so, he was missing in action, presumed to be dead. The wizards would be looking for him, and he'd already read about a few false sightings around Britain.

That was another benefit to going to the states; Britain's magical community was extremely secluded and hush hush. It was one of the many tirades Hermione had gone on when she was fed up with the wizarding world, how private they were. Harry had learned from her that there were several prominent magical societies across the world, although surprisingly, America was lacking in that area.

Hermione had theorized that it was due to their rather sudden rash of witch burning in the 1700's, where fear and paranoia ran rampant. The situation was so public and widespread that most of the magical community had chosen to immigrate to various parts of Europe and as a result, there was no formal magical governance in the country. When wizards cropped up, most were sent overseas to the various schools based in neighboring countries, and muggles overwhelmed any wizards that remained.

Most magical beings chose to move to America for that very fact, seclusion. One could not remain apart from the muggles, rather, they would have to integrate with them, and cast off the magical world at large.

This fact suited Harry very nicely. He was counting on the fact that if, by chance, he ran into any wizards, they would either have no idea who he was, or they simply wouldn't care enough to report it.

Frankly the chances of anyone recognizing him were slim. He had no need of glasses anymore, and his easily recognizable green eyes were gone, replaced instead by a deep red that could be mistaken for a dark brown if one did not look too closely. A few days before he had ran across a clear river stream when the winds had died down and the moon was at just the right height to cast a glow to the water. With his enhanced eyesight, it was like looking into a murky mirror.

He knew what vampires looked like of course, as a whole, and the books he had ordered had made some mention of it, but it was strange to see it reflected back at him. His scar was gone, faded completely. With Voldemort's influence torn away from his mind, it seemed that he scar was simply that, a scar, and, as he had read, any physical markings were smoothed away, healed into the new skin that formed smooth and clear onto muscles and bone, as pure and white as the moon in the night sky.

It was strange to view himself without the lightning bolt marking, something that had defined him for so long.

Apart from that, his face retained the same basic structure, if his features were not more streamlined. A slightly crooked nose seemed almost unnaturally straight, and his ears tapered more cleanly. Formerly scarred and chapped lips had smoothed and the whites of his eyes seemed abnormally bright. His hair remained wild and floated jaggedly down to his chin, but the black seemed darker than before, without the red sheen in the moonlight, it seemed to blend into the dark night around him. He still had the strong jaw of his father, but his face had lost all of its fat, and his cheekbones were convex, his brow more prominent.

He thought he looked older than before, more suited to the battles that he had faced throughout his life. There was wariness to his eyes that had come from the ensuing struggle that he constantly faced. He looked like a soldier, one who had faced harsh truths.

Apart from that, he noted a few minor changes, the breadth of his shoulders was wider, straining the shirt he had worn since the battle more than a week ago, and although he had washed it in the stream, it had a strong scent to it that he found helped him in remain in control when he occasionally ran across a human scent trail. He had always been a bit gaunt, and he found that when he fed well on animal blood, the hallows of his body were not so deep, and the newly formed muscles that he had gained from being a war leader were more apparent. He was wiry, but not slight. He had no real measure of his height, but he had been slightly above average stature before being turned, and he had no reason to think that would've changed.

Overall, he doubted anyone would be able to recognize him as Harry Potter. While his features were much more smoothed over, and his build more intimidating, he did not look terribly different; however, most had known him by three features, and three features alone. His scar, his glasses, and his eyes, at times, it had seemed like that was all there was to him. With all three of these facets altered, the chance of someone knowing him was slim.

Still, he was not taking any chances, and beyond the chance of recognition, wizarding blood smelled just as sweet as humans, and he could not risk going amongst them in order to procure a portkey.

He new apparating would never work for such great distances. However Harry had determined that whatever he was doing, it was _not _apparation. For one thing, it made no noise, and did not require near as much concentration. It had almost gotten him in trouble several times when he had found himself thinking wistfully of several locations and had felt the beginning tugs on his body. He had no real way of knowing whether or not he could use it to travel for long distances until he tried it.

For a time, he had considered traveling to multiple areas in short bursts, but he dismissed that idea when he considered the fact that he had no real knowledge of American geography, and would not be able to pinpoint exactly where he landed. It could spell disaster if you managed to appear near human encampment, and it was something he wasn't willing to risk. Nevertheless, Harry had decided that this false apparation was his best shot, and had decided that while he wasn't willing to risk other's lives, he was perfectly willing to test his own.

_The Light Vampires of the Americas _had included a small area map of the coven and where it was located. Harry had checked the printing date, and finding it to be almost a decade ago, could only hope that the information was accurate.

After a morning hunt where he took down three stags, feeling only a brief pang in remembrance for his father, he had checked his campsite, which was sadly meager, containing only a bed of moss and a campfire that had allowed him the discovery that he could create small flames in his hands, rather like the spell Hermione had taught he and Ron in their first year.

Making sure the fire was out, he grabbed his money pouch that held his dwindling funds and the two books he had ordered and took a deep breath as he began to think of the location he was aiming for, a dense patch of woods near the main coven house.

With one last wistful glance at the forest that had sheltered him for the past two weeks, he closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

* * *

><p><em>Alaska Coven<em>

"Edward, for heaven's sake, stop pacing!"

Edward sighed and turned to face his surrogate mother, "I'm sorry Esme, but you heard Alice, he's supposed to be here today!"

His sister had come to him with this information only a few hours ago. She'd had a new vision of the mysterious vampire arriving today, although quite peculiarly, she had no idea how he was getting there. Normally this fact would be of no import, but what was curious was not the fact that she simply did not know what method of travel he was using, but that he seemed to be using no method at all. He did not fly, which would frankly, be a massacre waiting to happen, nor did he take a boat, or any other means that was known to them. According to her, one moment he was somewhere in Europe, most presumably because of the accent in her previous vision, and the next, he was in the crop of trees that surrounded the manor.

While this fact worried Edward, he was more concerned over the fact that his theoretical mate would be arriving within hours.

After all, plenty of vampires had special traits or skills that seemed to crop up for various reasons; he himself was an example of that. This teleportation, for lack of a better word, while odd, was still explainable. What could not be so easily predicated was how Edward would react.

For all that he had read about these situations, mates were not very well documented, and almost all stories were about their later lives together, and their general habits, a few had managed to describe the feeling of meeting their mate for the first time, but the incidence was so rare that it was not a reliable source. Just because one vampire four centuries ago had felt a certain way upon setting their sights on their mate did not mean Edward would feel the same.

His agitation was clear, and it seemed to be annoying his family, who were standing in various corners of the room, conversing quietly as he attempted to calm himself.

Since his sisters vision last week, he had given a day's thought as to what to tell his family, who were all aware of his reasons for keeping to himself. After careful considering, he thought full disclosure would be best, as doubtless Alice would tell them in her excitement if he did not.

The reactions had been mixed.

Carlisle had been cautiously pleased, excited at the thought of their family finally being complete, while reserved over the uncertain nature of the vision. He knew a bit of the mate lore, and his thoughts held a tinge of awe to them.

Esme had been equally joyful, but with none of the reservations. She was swept away by the thought of a new family member, and wanted nothing more than for Edward to be content with whoever he chose, mate or no.

Rosalie had looked upon with casual disdain, the circumstances reminding her too closely of his initial rejection of her advances, something she had never quite forgiven him for. She had no clear knowledge on mates, and did not see how someone could catch his attention when she and indeed, no one else in the century of his existence did not.

Emmett had merely clapped him on the back with a force that had almost sent him to his knees, grinning and talking about wanting to have a talk with his new brother-in-law. He bore Rosalie's glare with an impervious borne from experience.

Jasper had given him a brief smile, content that Alice was content, and content she was. All week she had been following him around the various rooms and hallways of the manor, chattering about him and trying to draw him from the shell that he had encased himself in.

After a family meeting, it was decided that the coven was to be kept on a need to know basis. Alice had informed them of a new arrival, to ensure that they would be prepared, but explained that it would be best if the Cullen's greeted the new arrival. They did not indicate that he would be of any particular importance to Edward, but did give the sense that they would take him under their wing, personally undertaking his transition into the vegetarian lifestyle.

There had been a few curious glances at that, as the Cullen's, while friendly, had never shown any particular interest in new arrivals, but they had dismissed it after an influx of arrivals from Brazil that occupied their attention.

According to Alice's most recent vision, the vampire would be arriving just as the sun set, and as that time drew near, Edward grew more and more restless until he exploded into motion. He gave the members of the room a swift glance and saw their expressions varied from shocked to understanding.

"It appears to be nearing the time of his arrival, I would suggest we travel to the location he should be appearing at, if you would all be amiable to that?"

Carlisle nodded "I believe that is a good idea, Edward." Stretching an arm out to his wife, he looked at his children, "Shall we?"

With that, they all ventured to the woods, Edward leading the way with long steps.

Alice hurried to catch up with him, coming abreast as they strode through the trees, and throwing out an arm to stop him when they reached a small clearing. She gave him a nod to indicate that it was the place, and Edward's eyes flickered to the sky to see the last of the daylight sink beneath the skyline.

Bringing his eyes forward, he took a few steps in front of his assembled family, coming to a stop in the middle.

With unnatural stillness, he waited, not even breathing as he stared intently at the middle of the clearing. So focused was his gaze that he did not even jump, as he knew the rest of his family, excluding Alice, when a man abruptly appeared in front of him.

Edward saw the man go rigid, almost crouching in a defensive posture before flowing back into a casually forced stance.

He saw the vampire's eyes sweep his family's before coming to rest on his own. He saw the slight widening of his pupils and the flaring of his nostrils as the creature in front of him became entranced, taking an unconscious step forward.

Edward found himself equally drawn in, and swayed slightly forward towards the new vampire, bringing himself closer until he was only a foot away. He felt a strong desire to step even closer, to taste and to learn all that there was to know about the man in front of him. He wanted to _consume _him.

Instead, he gracefully held out a hand, holding himself stiffly so that his hand did not tremble the way it wanted to, so close to the arm of the other vampire.

"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

The vampire unexpectedly grinned, his teeth flashing in the moonlight, his hand rose and clasped Edward's and both men could not quite hold back a flinch as a feeling of electricity seemed to travel up their arms. Edward's body felt as though it was alive, singing in the presence of this vampire, his mate.

Their hands seemed to move without thought and both trailed higher so as to clasp each other's forearms in a tight grip, bringing them closer still.

With his head slightly tilted, eyes brimming with hints of wonder, curiosity, and suspicion, the man spoke, his deep voice searing itself in Edward's mind.

"Harry Potter."


End file.
